Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-09-08
CLEVELAND'S VIEWS
ON THE TOPICS THAT ARB AGIrATING THIS
PEOPLE TO-DAY.


with President Cleveland, held at
Oak View and the White House during
three days of last week. In this, probably
the first accredited interview with him
since he was elected president, is set forth
to the extent Of six columns Mr.. Cleve-
lands views upon such topics Of nstional
interest and importance as his renomina-
ton, civil service reform, the financial
situation, the Wheeling incident and his
coming visit to the South and West.
The immediate object of Mr.. Smiths
visit to Washington was to deliver mes.
sage from Mr.. Pulitzer to President Cleve-
land touching the matter of his recent iu-
structions to the Pacific Railroad Commits
sion at San Francisco. The Presidents
dispatch, it will be remembered, reported
that the President had left it merely dis
cretionary with the commission to employ
additional counsel to argue before the
United States Circuit Court the question:
whether the commission had the right to
compel witnesses to answer. On these
press dispatches was founded the lHoriFs
editorial criticism OF the Presidents action
after the application for the exact text Of
the instructions had failed of results both
in Washington and San Francisco.
''Some days afterwards" says the cor
'the President gave out the
text of his reply, and the World as
PROMPTLY EXPRESSED IT'S REGRET
that it had been led into criticism when it
should, rs the Presidents published tele-
gram fully warranted have commended
the emphasis of his response to the sug-
gestiOn Of the commissioner"
At the same time that the President
furnished that reply TO the press he was
represented to have referred to the World
as an opposition newspaper, to misrepre-
sentstions of which he was reported to have
said it had been guilty in regard to him. /
was instructed by Mr. Pulitzer to express
verbally to the President his regret at the
mistake alluded to; to say while the editor
Of the World criticised frankly what he be-
heved to be wrong in party or President,
IS in any Organization, community or in
diyidual, he was more than ready to give
his warmest advocacy to every act OF any
person or organization which was in the
interest of the people"
Mr.. Pulitzer's message having been de-
livered, the President said: II fully ap-
preciate the valuable work the World has
done in the reformation of abuses in New
York, and its efforts in so many directions
in behalf Of the people, but have seen in
the World, with great regret and surprise,
q disposition, at tines, to throw obstacles
in the way of my efforts to establish civil
service reform 50 firmly that there can
never be return to the old pernicious
methods, although seeming to be its
friend. / refer to the republishing of the
comments of newspapers hostile to me and
my purpose, often Republican newspapers,
and thus giving currency through the
World
To CARPING ATTACKS,
which otherwise would be limited TO the
journals in which they first appeared"
''No man in the country can know the
embarIassments and the perplexities which
have surrounded me in attempting TO
amend the condition Of public affairs.
With these limitations TO the Immediately
successful accomplishment of my purpose
but guided by every light possible to be
made available, / know i am trying to
bring about the remedy without the least
personal ambition or intent. Notwith-
standing the natural agyTayation which
have felt in noting the apparent dispcsl-
tion against me personally, gee the desire
of Mr.. Pulitzer, through the World, to aid
10 the same direction; but the fact is, /
am necessarily the person now TO bring
this reform about, and is there any better
way To secure the accomplishment of the
reform than by helping ME now TO accom-
plish it, il he believes me honest in my
purpose? The man who holds the reins is
the one to whom those who are interested
in safe termination of the journey must,
of necessity, trust"
LET me say here" Mr. Cleveland con-
tinued, "that if the disappointment arises
from my inability 10 name for Office all
those recommended by my near personal
and political friends were
SUFFICIENT CAUSE FOR ALIENATION.
those who wish me we'll would be very
few to-day"
The President denied that he believed,
as had been alleged, that Mr.. Pulitzer's
apparent unfriendliness grew out of the
fact that he had failed to secure the ap-
pointment OF his (Mr. Pulitzer's) attor-
ney, Charles Gibson, Of st. Louis, TO a
foreign mission, and added that Mr.. Pull
itzer had never solicited any other appoint
ment
In q subsequent conversation the Presi-
dent said that the composition of the Pa
cific Railroad Commission had been q mat
ter of unusual thought and consideration
with him, and in view Of the valuable in
formation obtained, he was glad that the
question decided by Justice Field against
the Commission had not been raised earlier.
Their dispatch recommending the employ
ment of addition counsel had been an
swered Immediately, and full power given
them. Why such counsel had not been
employed he had not been informed, but
he understood that 3 reasonable adjourn
ment to examine into the law had been
expected.
Concerning recent events in Grand Army
circles, Mr.: Cleveland said: '"The soldier,
having laid down his arms after so many
sacrifices, and enduring 50 many hardshipe,
having achieved such vast and good work
in perpetuating our Republic, should be
PRE-EaINENTLY THE BEST CITIZEN.
When he again in time of peace resumes
his citizenship. his desire for the peace
and quiet of his country, and its prosper
ity, should be emphasized by the very
trials he has undergone. do not believe
he can be carried away from the even plane
Of that good citizenship by the devices Of
men who would use him for
partisan purposes
He further said he did not fear there
would be any overt acts in st. Louis, in
for the Wheeling incident, be
cause it Was contrary to what he knew
to be the spirit of the municipal and COM
mercial bodies which had invited him
there, and which he believed to be the
spirit Of the whole people of st. Louis.
With the progress Of civil service re-
form the President is very much pleased.
''In the first year and half Of my admin
iafrafion ~ said tho President samen came